I want to immediately start our Ronbus R1 Pulsar review by making it known that this is now my personal favorite/preferred paddle.
I have hit with TONS of paddles at this point, many of them making their way into our pickleball paddle reviews on the site, and others still in the queue to get full reviews - and the Ronbus R1 Pulsar takes the cake for me.
I do also want to make mention to the fact that it is extremely similar to the play you get from the Six Zero Double Black Diamond paddle, which is one of the most sought after paddles on the market - and what I would say is either tied for my preferred paddle or sitting at number two right after the Ronbus R1 Pulsar (it's that close, but Ronbus R1 Pulsar also has a 5.25 handle length option and the DBD is almost always out of stock and has had some delamination issues in the past that Ronbus has done a really good job at combating).
To give you some background into my preferred paddles, I have hit with a pretty insane amount (purposely, to make myself a better paddle reviewer), but my first preferred paddle was the Hyperion, followed by Vatic Pro paddles, Six Zero, CRBN Power Series (and even the CRBN Control Series, actually), and Six Zero, Ronbus and a few select others.
Which is to point out that I lean towards the thermoformed paddles with T700 carbon fiber faces - especially brands that have some of the highest quality paddles with the most competitive prices for me to stand behind and share with other pickleball lovers.
To me, brands like Ronbus and Pulsar really set the bar in this category, and are my preferred paddle companies - as shown on my Recommended Gear page.
You may not find these companies on our Pro Player Paddle Database as often as the larger companies, but you'll be sure to find them ranked among the highest by essentially every trusted pickleball paddle reviewer.
That said, you'll learn all about the specifics below, and I'd love to know what you think. Have you tried the Ronbus R1 Pulsar or any other Ronbus Paddles? Are they your preferred paddle company?
Ronbus R1 Pulsar Review -
Full Paddle Technical Specifications
PRICE: $170 ($150 with code RCSlice)
GET $20 OFF WITH CODE "THESLICE": Click Here
MATERIALS: Raw Toray T700 Carbon Fiber Textured with Polypropylene Honeycomb Core
THERMOFORMED: Yes
SHAPE: Hybrid
THICKNESS: 16mm
WEIGHT: 8.1 oz
LENGTH: 16.5 in or 16.25 in
WIDTH: 7.5 in
GRIP LENGTH: 5.5 in or 5.25 in
GRIP CIRCUMFERENCE: 4.125 in
WARRANTY: 180 DAYS
Ronbus R1 Pulsar Review -
Brief Introduction and Discussion (Plus Pros and Cons)
The Ronbus R1 Pulsar comes in with a hybrid shape and can be grabbed at either 16.5 in length or 16.25 in length - with the changes coming from the handle length at either 5.25 or 5.5.
This makes the Pulsar fairly unique within itself, with most paddles only coming with a single option for grip length - similar to the DBD coming in at strictly the 5.5 length.
The R1 Pulsar also has the Raw Toray T700 Carbon Fiber face we love and the thermoforming technology that makes it extremely durable and powerful.
At 16mm this paddle has incredible control, but with the thermoforming and hybrid form of the paddle you won't have to worry about any power or pop lost if you're normally a 14mm player.
The Pros
Insane Spin Potential
Incredible Control and Feel
Massive Power Potential but not too poppy
Great Swing Weight for Quick Hands
Super Competitive Price for Carbon Fiber + Thermoforming
$20 Off Coupon Codes (RCSLICE)
The Cons
Stock is SOMETIMES limited (You purchase a $1.00 R1 Code and wait to be emailed of when you can use it towards the Pulsar. I waited less than 24 hours.)
Ronbus R1 Pulsar Review -
Control and Feel Review: 9.5/10
I'm generally a player that prefers a control paddle over a power or a paddle with more/too much pop to it, which is why I'm always worried about how much pop the thermoformed paddles will have when they come in.
For example, to me the Legacy Pro had too much pop than necessary, and even the CRBN Power Series, and, for a non-thermoformed paddle, the Selkirk Vanguard Power Air as well.
That's where the Ronbus R1 Pulsar shines. It does all the things we want it to do, as a jack of all trades, but it does them ALL better than every other paddle.
The R1 Pulsar has incredible control, coming in as one of the best control paddles I have ever played with, without losing any of the points in the other categories you'll read below.
The only reason I didn't give this one a 10/10 in this category is because it's definitely not soft and plush like some paddles you might feel, and has a more stiff feeling to it - though not in a bad way.
You'll still have the control you want, but if you're a player that wants that super soft feeling this one might have a slight learning curve.
Ronbus R1 Pulsar Review -
Power Review: 9/10
Coming in next on our Ronbus R1 Pulsar review we are going to be discussing the power this thing packs.
At 9/10 this thing is right in my sweet spot, packing plenty of power for me to drive through my opponents and put balls away when needed - but not too much pop where it would potentially lose a bit of control.
You'll likely see elongated variations like the Ronbus R3 Pulsar or the Vatic Pro V7 (as compared to the Vatic Pro Flash, which the the hybrid version) come in with power rankings of 9.5, but if you see a 10/10 I personally think it gets a bit too high for me and I begin losing a bit of control.
As we know, the Ronbus R1 Pulsar is thermoformed, so that's one of the reasons you're automatically going to be pretty confident with the power, while also what will make this one slightly more stiff [but without losing the control we want].
Ronbus R1 Pulsar Review -
Spin Potential Review: 10/10
Next up we have the spin category in our Ronbus R1 Pulsar paddle review, and this one is one of two categories the Ronbus R1 Pulsar is getting a ten out of ten.
Similar to other Ronbus paddles, the spin potential one this paddle is absolutely insane.
You can see other awesome paddle reviewers like Chris Olson at Pickleball Studio rank this one in the top ten for paddles in the RPM category (nearly top 5, with 2 other Ronbus paddles coming in within the top three as well), and Braydon Ulsinger at Pickleball Effect ranking it as "Very High" - the highest in his categories.
With this coming in about 2000 RPMs it will do the job and then some for every single player on the court who is looking to add spin of all types to the ball.
Ronbus R1 Pulsar Review -
Aesthetic and Personal Opinion: 10/10
I'm a bit of a broken record when I start off this category, but just in case this is your first time reading one of my pickleball paddle reviews I do want to make it known that I prefer paddles with super minimalistic styles - generally black with minimal design.
Clearly Ronbus paddles fall right into that sweet spot, and if you want to add some white grip and edge guard it makes it pop that much more.
With the aesthetic of this paddle being exactly what I like and it quickly becoming my preferred paddle for gameplay, it should be clear why this one comes in with another ten out of ten.
There's not much else to say for this one that I haven't already mentioned loving, but if you need me to reiterate, I personally think this one is a jack of all trades while somehow winning each of those categories that it's good at. Essentially a master of all trades, if you will.
Ronbus R1 Pulsar Review -
Everything Else: 9.5/10
This section of the Ronbus R1 Pulsar review will essentially be discussing price, swing weight and anything we may have missed during the review, and where it falls in the paddle market.
To start off, we know that Ronbus is one of the paddle companies quickly coming into the paddle industry and making a name for itself as one of the top companies.
The reason for that is the fact that they are able to make some of the best paddles on the market while still being in one of the most competitive price ranges you'll find.
The Ronbus R1 Pulsar comes in at $170 just $150 with code "RCSLICE", which makes it one of the best priced thermoformed paddles with carbon fiber faces on the market.
Compare that to other paddles like the Six Zero Double Black Diamond and CRBN Power Series that come in at $220 and you're immediately saving $70 and similarly coming away with one of the best paddles you can buy.
I also like the Ronbus R1 Pulsar because I prefer the hybrid shape that comes in at a bit lower swing weight than the Ronbus R3 Pulsar, for example, while still allowing for as much spin and power as I like to play with out there.
Ronbus R1 Pulsar Review -
Closing Thoughts: 48/50
The Ronbus R1 Pulsar is my personal favorite paddle, with only one or two paddles even coming close to it that I'll grab from my bag in more competitive games.
I called this one a King Of All Trades, coming in incredible in all categories you could want from a paddle (power, control, hand speed, forgiveness, aesthetics, price, and more) - and not only doing well in them - but being one of the best in ALL of them.
You can grab this one for just $170 just $150 with code "RCSLICE", where-as the similar paddles that competes with it generally run around $220.
We are in a time in the paddle industry where tons of companies are coming in and trying to get a piece of the market which Chris Olson referred to as a "copycat" market; as we see more and more attempt to make paddles thermoformed with carbon fiber faces at similar specs - so you may be able to find some other companies making what look like similar paddles, but you'll know you're getting an incredible paddle from an incredible company.
Have you tried the Ronbus R1 Pulsar or even the Ronbus R3 Pulsar yet? What are your thoughts?
What is YOUR favorite paddle?
